11. A Reapers Life
11
A REAPER'S LIFE
TESSA
“ D eath thought we should start you out on an easy reap,” Megan says, like any of this is easy.
I might be a bit flippant about death in my day-to-day life, but hearing that someone I barely know has passed away isn’t the same as being responsible for their souls and reaping them.
We’re standing in our supernatural astral forms at the bedside of an old woman, Betsy, invisible to her and her family members inside their home. I study her face and the people surrounding her, like her great-grand kids, and I’m sure she must be closing in on one hundred years old.
Her eyes are closed, and everyone appears to be at peace with this transition. I inspect the home’s photos on the wall and find our target in them. Betsy lived life to its fullest. She traveled all over, was big in her community, and seems to have a huge loving family.
“She lived the fuck out of her life,” I remark.
“I find reaps are easier when a person has truly lived instead of having their whole life ahead of them and then some accident or illness cuts their time short.” Megan smiles at the old woman. “I sometimes wonder what my life would have been like if Death hadn’t come for me.”
I don’t get the sense she wants to open up about her life, so I commiserate, “Your life would probably be better than the one I would have had if Instant hadn’t ensnared me. I was just scraping by and hustling suckers with my psychic ability.”
She eyes me for a long moment. “You didn’t con everyone you gave a reading to.”
I stare at the photos for a minute before answering. “No. I didn’t. I offered solid insights to a few. Well, actually, all of them got one legit piece of advice. I gave genuine answers to the ones who seemed like they might actually be good people.”
“See?” She knocks me on the shoulder. “Not all bad. And the reason you were in a position to be on the streets and needing to hustle was because of Instant fucking with your life. Isn’t that right?”
Before I can respond, the old woman’s breathing slows.
Suddenly alert, Megan moves closer. “She’s no longer connected fully to her body. Sort of like when we sleep. Our souls mostly detach to explore. Can you sense what’s happening?”
I reach out with my senses, and feel, then see, what she’s talking about. Betsy’s energy is floating just above her body.
“Now we use our tool to sever the cord to make sure she untangles completely.” In Megan’s hand there’s a tiny, curved sickle. She gently swipes over the body and the woman’s spirit floats higher.
The amorphous spirit energy now coalesces into an almost solid form. Betsy’s eyes open and she looks around, first at her family, then in our direction. “Are you my angels?”
“Your guides,” Megan corrects. “We can stay for another few minutes if you like. Or we can take you to the afterlife now.”
The woman glances back to the room that’s erupting with emotion. She tries to comfort a few of them, but her hand just passes through their bodies.
With a slight frown, she shakes her head. “No. We can go now. I’ve said my goodbyes when I was alive. I can get on with my next adventure.”
I’ll give it to Betsy. Nothing’s going to hold her down.
Megan takes both Betsy’s and my astral hands and flies out of the house, plunging us into the dark night of the cosmos.
Betsy hoots, having a grand time with our spacewalk. I’m a bit more apprehensive, which is ironic as fuck. I’m supposed to be the reaper here. The one returning to Earth in a few minutes, and I’m the one who’s nervous. Perhaps it’s only worry for what awaits us when we pass beyond the veil.
We arrive at a swirling portal, and Megan gives her a farewell blessing. “Good fortune to you and your next lives. It’s been a pleasure escorting you.”
Betsy gives us both a big hug. “Thank you, darlings. I appreciate the help.” She glances at the portal and hesitates before entering. “So the whole reincarnation thing is real?”
“From what I understand, it can be,” Megan answers with a tiny shrug. “Depends on where you’re at. But that isn’t for me to say.”
“So you haven’t been through the portal?” Betsy appraises the doorway with a cautious eye.
“Not yet.” Megan looks a bit longingly at the cosmic exit. “Or if I have, I don’t remember much from when I was on the other side when I was between lives. Our memories are fuzzy at best when it comes to other lives we may have had.”
“Hmm. Sounds like an interesting mystery. But I won’t find out lurking out here. Good fortune to you too, then.” Betsy waves and slips through the gateway.
Megan clasps my astral hand in hers, and we soar through space and dimensions, returning to the physical realms.
We land back in our bodies. Megan does it gracefully, likely having done so a million times. I’m not so lucky and knock myself to the floor from a reclining chair I used while we went on our reaper trip.
And that’s what it feels like. A trip . Psychedelic, but at least it wasn’t a bad trip. I don’t like those. Not that I intended to even take the acid someone spiked my drink with years ago.
FYI, Halloween can be a rough night to unwittingly go on a trip. I probably had an out-of-body experience that night now that I think about it.
“You okay?” Megan helps me to my feet.
I brush off non-existent dust from my pants. “Yep. I just have to get used to the landings.”
“You’ll find it’s easy after a few times.” She stares me in the eyes with the concern and assessment of a seasoned professional. “How are you feeling? Any other lingering sensations?”
I figure this is a standard check-in for new reapers. “I’m fine. And I’m glad she was so cool and ready to go.”
“They aren’t all like that.” Megan’s voice sours and she turns away.
“I read the stories,” I acknowledge, remembering my not-so-light reading Death insisted upon. “It just makes my adjustment to this new job easier to swallow.”
“We should get some lunch,” she suggests, a smile returning to her pretty face. “It will help settle your stomach from the travel.”
Now that she mentions it, my belly is queasy, like I hit some heavy aircraft turbulence. “Good idea.”
“I know a great place!” she says excitedly.
She grabs my hand just as my other snatches my purse, and we pop into a busy market. A blistering sun blazes at its zenith overhead.
Glancing around and putting my psychic feelers out, I sense we aren’t in the States anymore. Also, from the few words I pick out, it doesn’t sound like English. “Where are we?”
“Mexico.” She drags me down a narrow city street and into a quaint, simply decorated restaurant.
An older woman waves us over to an empty table. “Hola, mija!”
In fluent Spanish, Megan easily asks for her usual order and one for me. I only know enough words to get by.
My purse begins to buzz with text notifications. Weird. I thought I turned that off along with the sound. I didn’t want my phone disturbing me while I worked.
“Sounds like your boys are trying to get your attention,” Megan teases and waggles her perfect eyebrows.
“We’ve been over this.” I give her a dry look since I’ve tried to get her to hear me. Repeatedly. “Only Dante is my man .”
“You know… I have an extra power too.” She draws a heart with her finger on the worn wooden table. “I could have been a cupid if I wanted to be.”
“Seriously? They’re real?” Cool. Maybe we can change this subject, because thinking about what Evan and Kurtis said has my nerves fried.
“Oh, dude. Eros is real and a freaking smoke show.” Megan licks her lips. “But alas, he wasn’t hiring when my death date popped up.” When she notices I’ve not reached for my phone, she asks, “Is someone, or should I say someones, in the doghouse?”
I sigh and give in to her prodding. I wanted to make it through my first proper day of work without any boyfriend drama.
And I sense whatever texts I received are just that—drama.
Dante hadn’t been bugging me while I’ve been at work for the last few days. But he might be now considering his possessive behavior last night and his healing session with Karma. And with the guys being weird and professing their interest in me, I know it’s something I probably don’t want to deal with.
Pulling out my phone and unlocking it, I see several text alerts from Dante. My fears have been actualized.
I open Dante’s thread. There are three in a row that seemed to have come in quick succession.
DANTE: Hey, love. Miss you.
DANTE: Sorry about last night. My head is a bit bent over stuff. My past. Not you.
DANTE: Uh. I hope everything’s okay. You aren’t mad, are you?
What the fuck? Why is he being so needy?
DANTE: So… is there something going on with you, Evan, and Kurtis? Because they hinted that there is. If that’s the case, I wish you would have told me you were done with me before you acted on it… and did whatever happened between you three.
“Fuck,” I hiss, tempted to throw my phone out the front door of the restaurant.
Megan raises her manicured eyebrows with interest. “What’s up?”
“Just a misunderstanding.” I wave her off and text Dante back. I don’t want to leave that accusation hanging there all day.
TESSA: It wasn’t like that. They were just fucking with me last night. Like old times. They tried to make me believe they liked me as more than a friend, but nothing happened. Nothing.
DANTE: They DO like you. They told me before. And I know you think they’re hot too.
TESSA: Doesn’t matter if they’re attractive, because I’m with you. I’m not a cheater. It pisses me off that you’d think I would do something like that.
DANTE: Kurtis made it sound like something went down. You’re right, I know you aren’t like that. But I understand that I might not be what you need. Or ALL that you need. We technically never stated we were exclusive. So if you want to explore something with them, then I get it. I just don’t want to hear about it. I don’t think I could handle that part. So date them, or whatever you need, but don’t let me see it. And if you need to break it off completely with me, just tell me now.
TESSA: I’m not breaking it off with you. And if I did, it wouldn’t be because of them. Our relationship needs to survive or fall apart on its own merit.
DANTE: Good to hear. But maybe you should go on a date, or just fuck them. Get it out of your system if that’s all it is. You need to make sure I’m really the one you want.
I sigh, rubbing my face as a warm plate of spiced goodness slides in front of me. I thank the restaurant owner and toss my phone aside when she turns away.
“Trouble in Sausageville?” Megan asks with a smirk.
“ Really? ” I narrow my eyes at her and snatch up my fork and knife, holding them more like weapons than utensils.
“Whoa. Settle down, Xena Warrior Princess.” Megan glances around and pumps her hands like brakes. “What happened?”
I let out a long breath. Maybe I need a second opinion on all this crazy. “Dante is being a weird fucker. Honestly, it didn’t even sound like him. Maybe this healing Karma shit is fucking up his head instead of fixing it.”
“Sometimes you have to scramble some eggs and all that,” she half quotes the expression. “Want to talk about it? I haven’t had girl talk in a while, but I’m sure I can swing it.”
“Nah.” I figure it’s better to talk it out with Dante than bring anyone else into my mess. I’ve always been a private person, and I default back to that now. Besides, I just want to get through my day. I change the subject instead. “Tell me about your first reap?” I ask as I dig into my delicious meal.
As the sun sets, Megan drops me off at Karma’s main gate on my request and pops away with a finger wave. “Good luck!”
Instead of heading up the long driveway, I hoof it over to the empty lot next door to Karma’s property. I had created a sacred circle of protection from even the gods for the guys and me to figure out my weird powers and to scheme against Instant Karma. Whatever we did or said inside the bubble was safe from prying godly sight and hearing. We were practically undetectable—unless a god just happened to stumble across it. Then they could probably force their way over the boundary.
Ironically, it was a safe space that was also where the guys tried to drug me for information, thinking I was a spy for Instant Karma. It’s also the place Kurtis tried to test my powers, pissed me off, and I accidentally killed him by knocking him away. Fortunately, I brought him back to life with my psychopomp powers.
So much has happened between the guys and me in such a short time that it makes my mind reel.
I allow a smile to grace my lips as I come over a rolling hill that shelters my sacred circle, remembering some of the fun times with my old team.
My steps falter when I see Kurtis sprawled out, head against the log that’s still stained with his blood from several weeks ago.
I race to him, briefly worried he’s dead. But when I activate my reaper gifts, I can sense his soul inside him.
“Kurtis?” I land next to his side and cup his face, hoping he isn’t too hurt.
His eyes crack open, and he grins. “You came.”
“What? Were you expecting me?” I ask, confused and scanning his body for injury.
“No. But I was thinking about you. Hoping we’d get some quiet time.” His warm hand covers mine on his cheek, holding my touch to him.
I yank my hand away, unsure what’s going on. What’s with their tricks? Is this a trick? Or did I feel drawn to his pull?
Then I remember why I came out here to think in the first place. Irritation rises inside me. Everyone seems to be set on destroying my peace.
“What did you say to Dante?” I try to keep my voice calm, but I’m losing my patience with this stupid nonsense.
He shifts, so he’s sitting up and has the good sense to look embarrassed. “Uh, we told him how we felt about you.”
“And what else did you say or infer? He seems to think we have something going on already. And behind his back.” My jaw clenches with frustration. I’ve done a lot of stupid shit in my life, but I’d never cheat in a relationship. And I’m pissed Dante probably still believes I did something wrong.
“If Dante thinks that, it’s only his imagination getting away from him.” Kurtis shrugs.
Exhausted, I slide to my ass and lean my back against the same log that he is. “Why would you tell him anything in the first place?”
“I’m sorry.” He rubs his face and curses. “I thought you both should know my intentions. I wasn’t trying to make your life difficult. I promise.”
“Yeah, being a pain just comes naturally to you.”
“Ouch. Am I that much of a thorn in your side?” He turns to face me fully. “I thought… I thought we had worked things out between us. That we were okay now. I know I was an ass before. Instant made me do it… most of it.”
“Well, yeah, we haven’t had the smoothest past. And with this…” I gesture to him, then wave my hands around in annoyance. “I finally have a positive relationship that isn’t abusive or with a fucked-up power dynamic. Dante and I truly care about each other. I don’t want that messed up over a misunderstanding. It isn’t cool that you and Evan are sabotaging my love life.”
“I don’t want to sabotage your life.” Kurtis places a hand over his heart. “I want to be part of it.”
“Then be my friend.”
“Is that the only way you will ever see me?” he asks, his voice sounding defeated.
I don’t answer immediately, because it isn’t fair for him or me to not think about my answer. I deserve to know what I want and not dismiss things out of hand.
“You’re attractive. Fun, when you aren’t being an ass. If things had been different, I suppose we could have coupled up. But you weren’t there for me like Dante was. He wasn’t perfect, but he showed up every time I really needed him. He put the effort in.”
“He’s been the better man. I know that.” He nods and fiddles with his hands as he continues, unable to look me in the eye. “I was lost and broken. Instant did a great job damaging me, to make my life suck, but I didn’t respond to the challenges in a productive way. You, of all people, understand what that’s like.”
The therapy must be working, because I never expected something so heartfelt to come from him, or for him to admit how he might have aided in where he is now.
“Yes, I understand how she ruined things for all of us,” I admit.
Kurtis sees the softness return to my eyes. “Tessa, first and foremost, I want to be your friend. If things line up and if you are so inclined, I would like to see if we could have more between us. I care about you and want you in my life in any way I can have it.” He picks up my hand and kisses the back of it, like a vow.
“I want your friendship, too. Thank you for understanding that I might not want more. The rest will develop, or it won’t. Okay? I won’t hurt Dante just to date you or Evan.”
He nods.
Then we sit, chatting about what’s been happening at the compound for the last few days as we watch the sunset. I have to say it’s a more enjoyable way to spend the evening than stressing out about what to do. And this chiller version of Kurtis is fun to hang out with.
I’m happy to have a friend in him. I’ve had so few throughout my life.
And if things degrade with Dante, I’m going to need it.